Buttonhole-sewing machine.



No. 7|0,I49. Patented Sept. 30, |902.

.1. T'. HOGAN.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

(Application Bled Mar. 13, 1899.) (up Model.) Y 4 sheets-'sheet I,

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Noam; Pnzns co. mow-uma., wnsmnufon. n. c.

No. 7|0,|49. Patented Sept. 30, |902.

J. T. HOGAN.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 13 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet L (No Model.)

nu: minis vtfzns co, PHoTLmlo.. wAsuwsroN. n. c.

No. 7I0,|49. Patented Sept. 30, |902.

J. T. HOGAN.

BUTTONHDLE SEWING MACHINE.

(Application led Mar. 13, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shes# 3.

.No. 7|0,I49. Patented Sept. 30, |902. J. T. HOGAN.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

. (Application filed Mar. 13, 18-99.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

lzreldor.

@Birnen Tatras' JAIWIES T. IIOGAN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TKO THE NATIONAL MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OFfNEW YORK.

BUTTONHOLE-SEWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent N 0. 710,149, dated. September 30, 1902. Application iiled March 13; 1899. Serial No. 708,801. (No model.)

barring-stitches have been made parallel with the side stitches; but-in the finer grades of work it is preferred to have the barringstitches at right angles to the side stitches.v

Such work has been done by hand, requiring skilled labor and faking considerable time.

By my invention I am enabled to sew a complete buttonhole by machine-stitching, with the barring-stitches at right angles to the side stitches.

To carry out my invention, I employ a workcarryiug plate which rests upon the base-plate of the machine and is fed by suitable means to form a side row of stitches. This plate is then turned at right angles to its former po-4 sition and fed while in such position back and forth to form barringstitches. It is 'again turned at right angles to its last position and the other row of side stitches formed and finally turned to form the second set'A of barring-stitches.

My invention also comprises a novel form of work-carrying plate.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of my specification, similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views.

Figure lisa side elevation ofthe entire machine, a part ofthe bottom frame being broken out. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, a cover-plate being removed to show the needle-bar-carrying mechanism. Fig. 3 is a top view of the cloth clamp and carrier and part of the baseplate, a part of the clamp being broken to show the shape of the aperture in the carrierplate. Fig. et is a top view of a part of the main arm of the machine, showing mechanism for operating the needle-bar carrier, thread-guide bar, and cloth-cutter. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan of the mechanism below the base'plate for feeding the cloth-carrier. Fig.

6 is a longitudinal section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a longil udinal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a top View of a modified form of clamp and carrier-plate. Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section on the line 0 9 of Fig. 8, the clamp being shown in a different position. Fig. l0 is an' inverted plan view of the carrier-plate of Fig. 8. Fig. 1l is a top view of parts of the clamp in a position after spreading the buttonhole-slot. Fig. l2 is a horizontal section on the line 12 12 of Fig. 7.

My invention may be attached to any style of machine havinga vibrating needle-bar. I have shown itin connection with a purl-stitching machine iu which A is the'arm; J,'a connecting-rod to the toothed segmental plate K2, which latter engages a toothed wheel 7s to rock the looper J2.

J is the needle-bar; J3, the lshuttle mech-v anism.

K is a slotted segment to which is secured a pitman K to actnate the needle-frame to vary the bight of thestitch.

L is a cam to actuate the slotted segment K and the connecting-rod J.

C represents an arm carrying a knifeedge c2and is pivoted to the base-plate at c. NVhen swung into a horizontal position to cuta buttonhole-slit, it is depressed and forced into the fabric b'y turning the cam-face c by the handle C'- underthe roller C2. None of these parts, however, form any part of my invention.

I will first describe the brake and belt-shifting mechanism, although the same is vnot claimed herein,as it forms the subject-matter of an application filed by me June 30, 1899, Serial No. 722,398. Located below the baseplate of the machine and supported so as to slide freely in suitable brackets is a bar E, held normally in position bya spring e'. As shown, this spring is held on the bar between a ring e2, secured thereto, and a supportingbracket e3 of the frame, although any other arrangement of spring to accomplish this purpose may be employed. To the head e of the respectively,

IOO

the machine. The end of arm G is provided with a brake-shoe g, which bears against a cam-face @I on the disk I, forming part of the fast pulley D on the main shaft A'. D is a loose pulley on said shaft, and the loeltg6 is shifted from one pulley to the other by the movement of the arm G and its belt-shipping fork g'.

Rigidly secured to the bar E is a collar f3, to which is pivoted an arm F atf of an ordinary toggle-joint, the other arm, F', being pivoted to a bracketf4 atf2, depending from the base-plate. To the hook F2, secured to the ends of the stud uniting the two inner ends of the arms Fand F', is attachedastrap or cord which is under the control of the operator. The screw F8 passes through the arm F' and limits the throw of the toggle by bearing against the bar E. The operation of my improved brake and belt-shipping mechanism is as follows:

In starting the machine the operator by pulling on the strap attached to the hook F2 and holding the same moves the bar E to the right, thus releasing the brake-shoeg from contact with the cam-surface of disk I and shipping the belt g6 to the fast pulley D.

When the operator has completed his work,

the strap is released and the spring e throws the bar E to the left, which brings the brakeshoe g into position and shifts the belt 96 to the loose pulley D through the arms G and G', respectively. The cam -surface t' is so placed on the surface of the disk I that it frictionally engages the brake-shoe g at the moment the needle-bar is at its highest position or at a point that the needle may clear the work, thus relieving the operator of the necessity of turning the shaft to release the work.

The brake mechanism not only serves to arrest the movement of the drivi ng-shaft, but also as a positive locking device to prevent rotation until the bar Eis moved forward by the toggle-joint. p I will now describe my improved clamp and cloth-carrier and the mechanismrby means of which I am enabled to sew a row of side stitches and a set of barring-stitches at the end of a buttonhole at right angles to the side stitches.

B designates a work-carrying plate adapted to rest upon the base-plate A2 of the machine. It is cut away at b2, where it rests over the slot t3 in the throat-plate. The work is held onto the plateB bya clamp T, the forked ends of which are supported on studs b3, projecting upward from a bracket b4, secured to the plate B;

t designates a cam-lever pivoted to a stud t2, affixed to apost t8, and which carriesa camface t4, which bears against the upper face of` clamp T to force it down onto the cloth when the lever t is turned down. Upon releasing the cam the clampT is thrown up bysprings 012, surrounding the studs b3 and bearing against the under face of the ends of the clamp. Pins b2, inserted into the upper ends of the studs and projecting from one side thereof only, tend to cause t-he free end of the clamp to tilt up against the handle t. The clamp T is cut similarly to the carrierplate to permit the passage of the needle and has secured thereto 4serrated plates t', (shown in Fig. 2,) which take into the cloth when the clamp is lowered and hold it firmly in position.

The plate B is provided on its sides l and 3 with racks b b to engage a toothed wheel B2, held frictionally on a stud n, by which means the carrier-plate is fed to form the side rows of stitches, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. The plate B is recessed at be and b2 on sides l and 3 and at b9 and bw on sides 2 and 4. When in position to sew a bnttonhole, theV plate B rests againsta guideplate B', secured .to the base-plate of the machine, and cut into sections, as shown, to receive the toothed wheel B2 and permit the projection of a finger r from beneath the baseplate. This guide-plate carries agage-shoulder B3, which projects into the recesses b? and b9, which recesses determine the length of travel of the work-carrying plate B duringthe formation of the side and barring stitches. The recesses 177 on the sides l and 8 are cut the desired length of the buttonhole, and b2 on the sides 2 and 4 the length of the barring at the ends. The recesses h6 on the sides l and 3 are cut merely to provide aclearance for the finger r, as this latter during the formation of the side stitches remains inactive. During the formation of the barringstitches the finger r engages one or the other of the notches B4 in the sides 2 and 4 of the plateB to feed said plate in the manner hereinafter described. At such time the toothed wheel B2 projects into one of the recesses bw on the sides 2 and 4 and is of course then inactive. The plate B is not necessarily in the form of a square or parallelogram, and my invention is not limited to forming barring-stitches at an exact right angle to the side stitches. It' the angle is to be greater or less than a right angle, the ends 2 and 4 of the carrier-plate B are made with the angle desired with reference to the sides land 3.

The mechanism by which the carrier-plate B is fed is preferably located beneath the base-plate of the machine.

n3 designates the end of a vertical shaft which is geared to and driven bythe main shaft A', as will be readily understood. The shaft n3 carries a cam O4, which supports the forked end fm m of a lever M. It also carries a crank-disk O, from which extends a pitman O2 to actuate the shuttle mechanism J3. The lever M is fulcru m ed on astud m2, eX- tending from the base-plate, and at its outer end is slotted at n2 and has secured thereto by means 0f a sctscrew ns a similarly-slotted lever M', which latter is pivoted on the hub of ratchet-wheel N, which surrounds the stud n. By adjusting the screw n.5 in the slot n2 of IOO IIO

' the cam q by means of a spring q the levers Mand M' the pawl m2, secured to the lever M', which engages the teeth of the ratchet-wheel N, mounted on the stud n, is given a greater or less throw, thus enabling me to make a fine or coarse stitch or to vary the distance between the stitches for any given length of buttonhole. The stud rt projects up through the base-plate and carries the toothed wheel B2, which engages the racks l) b' of the work-carrier plate B, as before described. The toothed Wheel B2 isin frictional contact with the stud n, a Washer n4 being intei-posed between the head of the stud and the wheel B2, so that the operator is enabled to place the carrier-plate B on the base-plate of the machine in engagement with the Wheel B2 when the needle is in any position, and by simply moving the carrier-plate by hand is enabled to bring it to the end of the buttonhole to begin the sewing of the side stitches.

The lever M has pivoted thereto at its outer end at p' a link P, which latter at its other end is pivoted at 10 to a pawl carrier-plate Q', pivoted on a stud Q6. q' designes a pawl on this plate, and which drives a ratchet-Wheel Q, mounted to rotate on said stud Q6. A spring q2 holds the pawl in engagement with the ratchet-wheel.' Secured to the latter by suitable means, such as a screw Q7, is a cam q, which bears against a pin q2, fixed to an arm other end of arm R is formed into the upturned finger r, which projects through the base-plate and is turned down thereon to en-` gage the notch B4 of the carrier-plate B. The pin 13 is held in positive engagement with Although the link P is reciprocated at all times by the oscillation of lever M, the ratchetwheel Q must remain inactive during the formation of the side stitches, and for this purpose one tooth of the said Wheel is omitted at the space (15. This permits the pawl q' to ride over the plain face of the wheel at g5 during'the period when the rack of carrier-plate B is engaged with the toothed wheel B2 to form the side stitches. Vhen the end of the buttonhole is reached and the barring stitches are to be made, the ratchetwheel Q is advanced one tooth by means of the plate S. This plate is slotted and may be readily moved on the supporting-screws s' s2. It is normally held out of engagement with the wheel Q by the spring S2. Vhen it is desired to advance the wheel Q one tooth, so that it maybe operated by the pawl q', the operator pushes the handle S', which projects from the plate S through an opening in the base-plate of the machine, to the left, thus bringing the nger s2 into contact with a toothA of wheel Q and advancing it to that-extent, the plate S being then retracted by the spring S2. The pawl q' then rotates the wheel Q during the formation of the barring-stitches and until the plain portion g5 of the face of wheel Q is brought opposite the pawl q',

R, pivoted to the base-plate at r. Thev when said wheel again becomes inactive during the formation of the other row of side stitches or until the end of the buttonhole.- slit is reached.

The operation of the mechanism above described is as follows: The work is first clamped to the plate B by the clamp T. The cutterlever C is then turned down on the pivot c', as shown by the broken dotted lines in Fig. l. Then by turning the cam c by means of a handle C' under the roller C2 the buttonhole will be cut by the knife-edge c2. The plate or work-support rests on the bed-plate of the machine when the buttonhole is cut, after which operation the plate orsupport is pushed into position under the needle, as shown in Figs. l and 3, with the rack b in engagement with the toothed wheel B2. The operator then releases the brake-shoe g and at the same time shifts the belt g6 from the loose pulley D to the fast pulley D' through the operation of the toggle-joint, as before described. Motion being imparted to the main shaft A', it is transmitted to the shaft n2 and by cam OiL to lever M. The oscillation of the latter actuates the pawl m2, and thus the ratchetwheel N and toothed wheel B2, which feeds the plate B in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, to form the side stitches. As shown in said figure, the parts are in position after several side stitches have been made. The length of buttonhole that eanbe sewed is determined by the recess o7, and when the shoulder B3 contacts with the end wall of this recess the end of the buttonhole has been reached. During this time the pawl q' rides over the plain face Q5 of the ratchet-wheel Q, so that no movement is imparted to the finger r. To now form the barring-stitches across the end of the buttonhole-slit, the carrierplate is raised by hand and turned with its` side 2 against the guide-plate B'-that is, at

right angles to its former position-so that the finger r will engage the notch B4. The shoulder B3 will fall into recess b2 and toothed wheel B2 into recess blo. The operator then advances the ratchet-wheel Q one tooth by moving the plate S. The needle at this time is at the center of the buttonhole-slit, and by the rotation of ratchet-wheel Q by means of the pawl q', the cam q and the arm B., Whose finger r engages plate B, the said plate is fed first to one side or the other to seWa line of stitches as far as desired, then back across the end'of the slit to the desired distance on the other side, and finally back to the center of the slit, the cam q being so constructed as to accomplish these movements of the work-carrier plate. This completes the barringstitches and brings the plain part g5 of wheel Q opposite the pawl q'. The carrier-plate is then raised to bring the side 3 against the guide-plate B to sew the other row of side stitches and finally is again turned to bring the side 4 into position to sew the barring-stitches at the other end. During the formation of the barring-stitches it ICO IIO

form first described.

will be noticed that the toothed Wheel B2 falls into the recess b1, and although it continues to rotate it performs no work.

In Figs. 8, 9, 10, and llI have shown a modified form of work-carrier plate. The clampplate T instead of being formed in one integral piece is split along its central line T', so as to form separable branches or legs, the purpose being to spread the cloth after it has been cut, so that the needle may not gather up the frayed edges of the buttonhole-slit. t7 is a post seated to rotatein plate B and having its lower end made oval in section to serve as a cam-surface. The head 752 of this post carries the forked ends of a handle t, the lower edge of each fork being formed into a calnsurface, which when the handle 15 is turned down on the washer' 155 clamps the work between the plates B and T. After the work W is thus secured the buttonhole-slit is cut and then the handle turned so that the camsurface of the post t7, acting against the bracket-pieces Z5, attached to the separable parts of clamp T, spreads such partsto open the buttonhole-slit, as shown in Fig. l1. The means above described form a simple and compact arrangement to clamp the work to the carrier-plate. and also to separate the parts of the clamping-plate by a simple movement of the handle t. I have also shown in these figures a form of work-carrier plate which does not require to be lifted at the end of a row of side or barring stitches, asin the The plate B instead of having racks, recesses, and notches on its edges to engage with the feed mechanism has its edges straight. On the under face of this plate I secure a rack B10, made straight on the sides l and 3, FiglO, for a length sufficient to complete the feed for the side stitches and at the ends 2 and 4 for a length sufficient to complete the feed for the barring-stitches. Between the points 6 and 7 the rack is an arc of ninety degrees described from the point 5, so that the plate may be carried around from one position to a position at right angles thereto. B2 is a toothed wheel in frictional engagement with stud n and driven by the ratchet-wheel N, as before described, or any other suitable mechanism and which engages the feed-wheel B5 through the intermediate pinion B6 to feed the work-carrier plate B during the formation of both side and barring stitches. The toothed wheel B5 is mounted loosely on a stud in the base-plate of the machine, and its function is to feed the straight parts of the rack and then turn the workcarrier plate from one position to a position at right angles thereto. The latter is done at the end of each row of side and barring stitches by stopping the machine and manually operating the wheel B by turning the same by the handle B5. The rack being on the under face of plate B admits of the corners of said plate when turned to pass over the wheels B2 and B5. The plate B is grooved on its under face at B7 to correspond with the form of the rack. Instead of being formed by a plate B2, as shown in Fig. 10, a narrow barwouldsuficeforthepurpose. Thisgroove engages a pin V, fixed in the base-plate of the machine and which keeps the work-carrier plate in operative position. The pin V is located directly opposite the center of the wheel B5, so as to guide the plate B and hold the entire rack, straight and curved parts, in constant mesh with the wheel B5. In this modification the length of the side and barring stitches is regulated by the operator and not by the length of straight portion of rack, which has surplus travel both` Ways for convenience of operating.

In the position shown in Fig. 8 a row of side stitchesis being formed. As soon as the plate is automatically fed to the end of the straight portion of the rack on side l by means of the wheels B2 B5 B6 it is turned manually by means of the hand-Wheel B5, so as to bring the straight portion on the side 2 into position to form the barringstitches. The plate is then automatically fed by gears B2 B5 B6 to form a row of barring-stitches across the end of the buttonholeslit at right angles to the side stitches. At the end ofthe barring operation the plate is again manually turned by the wheel B6 to bring the side 3 of the rack into position to be fed by the Wheels B2 B5 B6 to form the other row of side stitches and is finally turned to bring the side et of the rack into position to form a row of barring-stitches at the other end ofthe buttonhole-slit. By this mechanism it will be seen the operator is not required to lift the work-carrier plate at the end of the formation of a row of side or-barring stitches, but that the plate remains at all times on the base-plate of the machine.

Having now described the nature of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In abuttonholesewing machine the combination with stitch-forming mechanism, ot' a work-support comprising a substantially rectangular plate having racks on a portion of two of its edges and notches in the two other edges, a pinion to engage said racks, a finger to engage said notches, and means to actuate said pinion and finger substantially as described.

2. In a buttonhole-sewing machine adapted to sew side stitches and barring-stitches, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism of a work-su p port comprising a substantially rectangular plate having racks on a portion of two of its edges, a pinion to engage said racks, a plate carrying a finger to engage suitable notches in the two other edges of the work-support, a cam and ratchet-wheel to actuate said plate, and means to throw said ratchet-wheel into operative position, when the work-support is adjusted to sew barringstitches.

3. In a buttonhole-sewing machine adapted to sew side stitches and barring-stitches, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism IOO IIO

of a work-support comprising a substantially rectangular plate having racks on two of its edges, a pinion to engage said racks, means to rotate said pinion, a plate having a nger to engage notches in the two other edges of the worksupport, a ratchet-wheel and cam to actuate said plate, said wheel being so constructed as to be inoperative during the formation of Side stitches, and means to throw it into operative position when barring-stitches are to be formed. 1

4. In a buttonhole-sewing machine the combination of a work-carrier plate, a drivingshaft, a cam on said shaft, a lever oscillated by said cam, a link connected to said lever, a pawl-carrier plate connected to said link, a pawl on said plate, a ratchet-wheel engaged by said pawl, a cam connected with said ratchet-wheel, an arm actuated b v said cam, and engaging the work-carrier plate, snbstantially as described.

5. In a buttonhole-sewing machine the cornbination with stitch-forming mechanism, of a work-,support comprising a substantially rectangular plate having racks on a portion of two of its edges, a pinion to engage said racks, a driving-shaft, and adjustable levers actuated bysaid shaft and connected by intermediate mechanism to said pinion whereby'the number of stitches to a given length of feed may be Varied, substantially as described.

6. In abuttonhole-sewing machine the combination with stitch-forming mechanism, cfa work-support comprising a substantially rectangular plate having racks on a portion of two of its edges, a pinion to engage said racks, a ratchet-Wheel to actuat'e said pinion, a driving-shaft and adjustable levers intermediate said vshaft and ratchetwheel to drive the latter, substantially as described.

7.. In a work-carrier plate for sewing-machines, the combination of a lower plate, an upper clamping-plate, supported by studs on the face of the former plate, and a spring surrounding each of said studs, and bearing against the under side of the upper plate, to normally hold it out of contact with the lower plate, substantially as described.

S. In a Work-carrier plate for sewing-machines, the combination of a lower plate, an upper clamping-plate supported by studs on the face of the former plate, a spring surrounding each of said studs, and bearing against the under side of the upper plate to normally hold it out of contact with the lower plate, and means to tilt the free end of the clamp, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES T. HOGAN.

Witnesses:

W. LAIRD GoLDsBoRoUGH, v CHARLES S. JONES. 

